Packets per hour

ScousePostie · Post by **ScousePostie** » 28 Nov 2016, 18:08

Hi,

Today was the first day of pressure in our office, officially. I was asked did I want to do 43 packets on overtime which DOM put in 3 hours for, I was pretty happy with this myself. Colleagues told me that this was not enough hours for the amount of packets I was doing. I've worked at Royal Mail for two years this month and ever since I started doing overtime on a regular basis, I've been told many different figures on how many packets we are expected to attempt to deliver per hour.

I was told by a senior colleague that the rate of packets per hour is 16, but I have been told many figures. By my calculation, if packets per hour is 16, times by 3 hours is 48, so 43 packets for 3 hours I still think it quite fair. I was wondering if anyone could clarify what the rate of packets per hour is, is there a national agreement with the union on this, for example?

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 28 Nov 2016, 18:10

i dont think there is a rate, but anything around 15 per hour seems reasonable but it can obviously vary quite a bit depending on the type of area youre delivering to, a rural area you wont be able to get this many done. If you felt happy with the 3 hours and you got it all done in those 3 hours there isnt really a problem is there ?

ScousePostie · Post by **ScousePostie** » 28 Nov 2016, 18:15

Postie45 wrote:i dont think there is a rate, but anything around 15 per hour seems reasonable but it can obviously vary quite a bit depending on the type of area youre delivering to, a rural area you wont be able to get this many done. If you felt happy with the 3 hours and you got it all done in those 3 hours there isnt really a problem is there ?

There certainly isn't a problem as far as I'm concerned. But, everytime I get overtime doing packets, I appear to be hounded by colleagues asking 'how much are you getting for doing them' and when I tell them the answer always seems to be 'I'd tell him where to go', etc.

One thing someone pointed out to me today. The overtime we get for doing packets doesn't include loading the van and driving to and from the area where the packets are being delivered to.

Just to point out, the area this office is in is a built up area.

wannabeek · Post by **wannabeek** » 28 Nov 2016, 18:17

There is no fixed number of packets per hour and there cannot be nationwide because of the varying locations.

It may be possible to get rid of 20 parcels in an hour when in an extremely built up location withs doors only feet apart. It would be a massive struggle to get rid of a dozen in an hour if you had to drive 5 mins to each address in a different part of town.

I would never agree to a fixed number of hours to deliver a number of parcels in any location - what if there was an unexpected road closure, all recipients were not at home, nor were their neighbours, and then you got a flat tyre? It could take ages to get rid of just a few.

Daniel-san · Post by **Daniel-san** » 28 Nov 2016, 18:18

I was told it was 20 per hour,
Impossible when you have to try neighbours.

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 28 Nov 2016, 18:19

maybe it doesnt include time for loading etc, but if the overall time is covered by the hours paid its pretty irrelevant.... so long as youre not cutting the job up there isnt a problem here other than people wanting to be paid more hours than it takes to do the job

ScousePostie · Post by **ScousePostie** » 28 Nov 2016, 18:20

wannabeek wrote:There is no fixed number of packets per hour and there cannot be nationwide because of the varying locations.

It may be possible to get rid of 20 parcels in an hour when in an extremely built up location withs doors only feet apart. It would be a massive struggle to get rid of a dozen in an hour if you had to drive 5 mins to each address in a rural location.

I would never agree to a fixed number of hours to deliver a number of parcels in any location - what if there was an unexpected road closure, all recipients were not at home, nor were their neighbours, and then you got a flat tyre? It could take ages to get rid of just a few.

I see your point. It's fair to say that when I've done overtime like this in the past sometimes it's difficult to get answers or neighbours to take parcels. Whenever I've gone over the agreed time, I've discussed this with management the next day and the time is added on, no problem.

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 28 Nov 2016, 18:21

wannabeek wrote: what if there was an unexpected road closure, all recipients were not at home, nor were their neighbours, and then you got a flat tyre? It could take ages to get rid of just a few.

Then youd return to the office at the end of the x hours for those reasons.

centenaryman · Post by **centenaryman** » 28 Nov 2016, 18:22

they've just put a few afternoon duties in at our gaff,,,,,,there "expected" to do 15 an hour.......these are in areas and the lads tell us its easy.....good on them...I don't want to be in work 2-8 soooooo

wannabeek · Post by **wannabeek** » 28 Nov 2016, 18:28

Postie45 wrote:
wannabeek wrote: what if there was an unexpected road closure, all recipients were not at home, nor were their neighbours, and then you got a flat tyre? It could take ages to get rid of just a few.
Then youd return to the office at the end of the x hours for those reasons.

Hmm I'd rather not have that conversation with the gaffer having brought back mail. Your office may be different but here if you agree to deliver them for x hours pay then you deliver them for x hours pay. Personally I deliver them and book the time it takes, whatever it takes. Each to their own tho.

Destiny · Post by **Destiny** » 28 Nov 2016, 18:37

Reasonable pay for what it is in today's climate if its a few close residential walks, extenuating circumstances aside!

mancpat · Post by **mancpat** » 28 Nov 2016, 18:42

Just sort your own rates with your manager.

Years ago we'd do 15 an hour but that would be spread over a whole post code. Now you might do 15 an hour over 2 walks so you can get them done in half the time.

But I suppose it depends on desperation. If people are desperate for overtime they'll do it for 2 hours. If the manager is desperate for you can do them you can hold him to ransom. Last year I wasn't really bothered about doing packets. But every walk in the office was refusing to take theirs because it was so busy. So the manager was desperate. I had around 25 parcels with some of them for the same house. Probably 18 drops. Told my gaffer I'd do them for 4 hours and wasn't budging on that figure. He bit my hand off just because they'd get cleared.

abzo · Post by **abzo** » 28 Nov 2016, 19:59

In our office all the part timers that have agreed to being made up to full time for December are on a 9-5 shift. so we do normal duties in the morning and packets in the afternoon. Problem is we have too many parcels as i have witnessed today, luckily for me the area i was covering wasn't too bad as it was 1 york full of parcels, others however got 2 - 3 full yorks today. However they only took out what they could deliver until 5pm so there will be quite a back log of parcels left to be done by the end of the week. If the managers cannot get anyone to do them on OT then what would happen with these parcels??? do they get sent back to the senders???

wannabeek · Post by **wannabeek** » 28 Nov 2016, 20:06

Returned to senders? If we have no time or resources to deliver them in one direction then it's unlikely we would be able to deliver them any better in the other direction!
I understand that ofcom suspend many requirements from RM to deliver items in the required timescale during Christmas so I imagine any backlog will just sit there until they finally get done.

Happens every year, sometimes it's dreadful, sometimes it's just pretty awful.

Post by **Judgee** » 28 Nov 2016, 20:29

Ghost overtime is becoming a thing of the past and it's time some people woke up to that fact. If you got three hours for it, completed it within three hours or less and are happy with it just ignore the idiots.

There will come a day (and it won't be long) when there will be zero ghost overtime, enjoy every minutes free pay now while you can!